Vermilion, Ohio

Pedigree: The late business tycoon Donald A. Brown (inventor of the drop ceiling) enlisted AD 100 architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen to help him conceive this estate just west of Cleveland on the shores of Lake Erie. Their collaboration yielded a unique assortment of pavilions constructed between 1985 and ’91, each of which is crowned by a steep pyramidal roof. Excluding storage and mechanical spaces, the compound comprises a remarkable 37 rooms—among them a barber-shop, a gym, and a billiard lounge.

Property Values: Set across the 160 acres are a private marina, a mile-long beach, manicured gardens, two pools, and a heliport—complete with an adjacent airplane hangar.

Talking Point: A subterranean wine grotto boasts a mechanical lift that raises an entire seating area through a retractable skylight, thus making a rooftop terrace for open-air tastings.